Crusher for wild onions and the like



June 9, 1964 R. A. ROACH 3,136,372

CRUSHER FOR WILD ONIONS AND THE LIKE Filed July 5, 1963 0 do 44 g, Z0) go 34 CW 22 22 INVENTOR. 2/ (W420 4. 2040/14 4 TTOP/VE Y6.

3,136,372 CRUSHER FOR WILD ONIONS AND THE LIKE Richard A; Roach, 338Roselane St., Marietta, Ga.

Filed July 5, '1963,"Ser.'N0. 293,014 2 Claims. -(Cl. 172-41) Thisinvention relates to a novel portable motor-driven crusher for wildonions, and the like. p

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an efiicient,quick-acting, easily used, timeand laborsaving device of the kindindicated, which has a crusher head which is adapted to be engaged withthe top of wild onions and the like, and rotated, while exertingdownward pressure, so as to crush the onions and grind them in the soilin which they grow and thereby destroy and kill them.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter indicated above, which has a handle-equipped standard havingground-entering tines, on its lower end, which serve to steady andanchor the device during its operation, the motor and the crusher headshaft being mounted on the standard for vertical movements relativethereto, and being upwardly spring-pressed, the motor having a handle bymeans of which the crusher head is adapted to be depressed for engagingwild onions. against the resistance of the spring means, which serves toelevate the crusher head so that the operator of the device is relievedof the work of elevating the crusher head, the shaft and the motor aftera crushing operation has been performed.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation taken at right angles to FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE3;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises avertically elongated, flat tubular, openended standard 10, which iselongated in crosssection crosswise of the device, as shown in FIGURE 5,and which has fixed, on its laterally outward side an invertedtriangular step 12, located near its lower end. A horizontal crossmember 14 is fixed across the lower end of the standard and extendsequally beyond the sides thereof. Flat pendant perpendicular tines 16are fixed to the cross member 14, at its ends, and have pointed lowerends 18.

A horizontal handle 20 is fixed to and extends from the outward side ofthe standard 10, at its upper end, and upper and lower horizontalbearing brackets 22 and 24 are fixed to and extend from the inward sideof the standard, adjacent to the upper and lower ends thereof,respectively. The brackets are formed with vertical bores 26, in whichflanged cylindrical tubular bushings or bearings 28 are fixed.

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Patented June 9, 1964 A vertically elongated tubular shaft 30, longerthan the standard 10, slides and rotatesthrough the bearings 28, and hasa fixed external annular collar 32 adjacent to its upper end. A coilspring 34 is circumposed on the shaft 30 and is compressed between thecollar '32 and the upper' bearing bracket 22, whereby the shaft 30 is'yieldably biased upwardly to an elevated, retracted position, shown inthe drawings.

1 An inverted: conical crusher head- 36 has a; reduced diameter axialshank 37, on its upper end, which is engaged in the lower end of theshaft 30, and is secured in place therein, and against rotation relativeto the shaft, as by means of a set screw 38. The crusher head is formedwith equally circumferentially spaced shallow, downwardly taperingflutes 39, which serve to crush and grind the onion and grind it intoits own soil.

A flat slide bar 40 is conformably and slidably, and hence non-rotatablyengaged in the upper end of the standard 1i) and extends thereabove. Avertical electric motor 42 is fixed to the inward side of and at theupper end of the slide bar 40, as indicated at 54, and extends laterallytherefrom. The motor has a downwardly extending shaft 44, which isengaged in the upper end of the crusher shaft 30, and is locked therein,against rotation relative thereto, as by means of a set screw 46. Themotor has fixed to its outer side a horizontal handle 48, which has anonand-off switch 50, on its underside. A service cord 52 leads out ofthe motor 42 for connection to any convenient electric current outlet.

In use and operation, the operator of the device, having selected a wildonion to be destroyed, holds the device by the sandard handle 20, andpermissibly also by the motor handle 48, places the tines 16 alongsideof the onion, and then steps on the step 12, so as to drive the tines 16into the ground, as far as the cross member 14. This anchors the devicein the ground and places the crusher head immediately above the onion.The motor 12 is then started, by operating the switch 50, anddownward-pressure is exerted on the motor handle 48, so as to move therotating crusher head down into contact with the onion, against theresistance of the spring 34, so as to crush and grind the onion into itsown soil. Upon completion of this operation, pressure on the motorhandle 48 is relaxed, so that the spring 54 serves to elevate or retractthe crusher head out of the soil. Either or both of the handles are thenused to lift the tines 16 out of the soil and to transport the device toanother location.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarilyconfined thereto, and

that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relativearrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within thescope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A device of the character described, comprising a standard, a lateralbracket on the standard having bearing means, a vertical rotary shaftjournaled through the bearing means, a rotary crusher head fixed to thelower end of the shaft, a collar fixed on the shaft, a coil springcircumposed on the shaft and compressed between the collar and thebracket, an electric motor slidably mounted on the standard andoperatively connected to the upper end 3 of the shaft, said motor beingvertically aligned With the shaft and having a pendant shaft fixedaxially to the upper end of the crusher shaft, said standard having apolygonal bore opening to its upper end, a polygonal slide bar slidingin said bore, and extending above the standard, and

. means fixing the motor to the slide bar.

2. A device of the character described comprising a standard having apolygonal bore opening to its upper end,

said standard having lateral bracket means thereon, said bracket meanscomprising tubular bearing means, a rotary shaft journaled through saidbearing means and extending above and below said bearing means, an earthWorking member fixed on the lower end of the shaft, a polygonal slidebar engaged in the bore of the standard and extending above thestandard, an electric motor mounted on the slide bar at the side thereofadjacent to the shaft, said motor having a pendant motor shaft connectedto the upper end of the rotary shaft, said rotary shaft having a fixedcollar located between the motor 4; shaft and said bracket means, andacoil spring circumposed on the rotary shaft and compressed between thevbracket means and said collar.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS757,739 Haines Apr. 19, 1904 1,338,948 Miller May 4, 1920 1,358,303Farmer 1 Nov. 9, 1920 2,007,826 Fickes July 9, 1935 2,385,441 Hill Sept.25, 1945 2,501,000 Murphey Mar. 21, 1950 2,779,259 Kelsey Jan. 29, 19572,991,838 Lane July 11, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS I 765,949 Germany Apr. 12,1954 239,707 Switzerland Feb. 18, 1946

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A STANDARD, A LATERALBRACKET ON THE STANDARD HAVING BEARING MEANS, A VERTICAL ROTARY SHAFTJOURNALED THROUGH THE BEARING MEANS, A ROTARY CRUSHER HEAD FIXED TO THELOWER END OF THE SHAFT, A COLLAR FIXED ON THE SHAFT, A COIL SPRINGCIRCUMPOSED ON THE SHAFT AND COMPRESSED BETWEEN THE COLLAR AND THEBRACKET, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE STANDARD ANDOPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF THE SHAFT, SAID MOTOR BEINGVERTICALLY ALIGNED WITH THE SHAFT AND HAVING A PENDANT SHAFT FIXEDAXIALLY TO THE UPPER END OF THE CRUSHER SHAFT, SAID STANDARD HAVING APOLYGONAL BORE OPENING TO ITS UPPER END, A POLYGONAL SLIDE BAR SLIDINGIN SAID BORE, AND EXTENDING ABOVE THE STANDARD, AND MEANS FIXING THEMOTOR TO THE SLIDE BAR.